The AFL has confirmed the fixture for the Talent League Boys Wildcard Round.
Saturday, August 29
Gippsland Power (Country/Tas #2) vs Murray Bushrangers (Country/Tas #7)
La Trobe University, Bundoora, 11:45am AEST
Broadcaster: AFL Live Official App
GWV Rebels (Country/Tas #4) vs Geelong Falcons (Country/Tas #5)
La Trobe University, Bundoora, 2:15pm AEST
Broadcaster: AFL Live Official App
Sunday, August 30
Northern Knights (Metro #1) vs Eastern Ranges (Metro #6)
Preston City Oval, Preston, 10:00am AEST
Broadcaster: KommunityTV
Western Jets (Metro #2) vs Oakleigh Chargers (Metro #5)
Preston City Oval, Preston, 12:30pm AEST
Broadcaster: AFL Live Official App
Tasmania Devils (Country/Tas #3) vs Bendigo Pioneers (Country/Tas #6)
KGV Oval, Glenorchy, 1:10pm AEST
Broadcaster: AFL Live Official App
Calder Cannons (Metro #3) vs Sandringham Dragons (Metro #4)
Preston City Oval, Preston, 3:00pm AEST
Broadcaster: AFL Live Official App
Bye: Dandenong Stingrays (Country/Tas #1)
Entry to all Talent League matches is free.
The 2026 Talent League Boys season again featured 12 teams from Victoria and one from Tasmania for the full season.
Academy programs from New South Wales (GWS GIANTS and Sydney Swans), Queensland (Gold Coast SUNS and Brisbane Lions) and Northern Territory (NT Academy) competed in a selection of games early in the season ahead of the Marsh AFL National Championships.
Only the 13 teams from Victoria and Tasmania will feature in the post-season, where they will compete in two conferences during Wildcard Round and the quarter finals, before crossing over for the preliminary finals.
One conference will feature the six metropolitan teams, while the other conference will feature the six country teams, along with the Tasmania Devils.
Teams have been ranked within their conference based on their ladder position at the end of the home-and-away season. Please click here to view the ladder.
RANKINGS
The rankings for each conference are:
Metro Conference: Northern Knights (#1), Western Jets (#2), Calder Cannons (#3), Sandringham Dragons (#4), Oakleigh Chargers (#5) and Eastern Ranges (#6)
Country/Tasmania Conference: Dandenong Stingrays (#1), Gippsland Power (#2), Tasmania Devils (#3), GWV Rebels (#4), Geelong Falcons (#5), Bendigo Pioneers (#6) and Murray Bushrangers (#7)
Wildcard Round will include six matches which will be made up of three games from each conference.
With seven teams featuring in the Country/Tasmania conference, the Dandenong Stingrays will have a week off during Wildcard Round as the conference’s top-ranked side, having advanced directly to the quarter finals.
Wildcard Round will determine the remaining seven teams who will feature in the finals series. The six winners in Wildcard Round will all progress to the quarter finals, along with the highest-ranked loser from the Metro conference.
The Wildcard Round and finals system gives all teams the opportunity to contest at least one additional match following the home-and-away season and is in line with the focus of the competition being on player development.
A three-week knockout finals series will commence on the weekend of September 5-6, culminating in the 2026 Coates Talent League Boys Grand Final on Saturday, September 19.
The Talent League Girls finals series will begin with the quarter finals this weekend.
2026 TALENT LEAGUE BOYS WILDCARD ROUND AND FINALS SERIES STRUCTURE
Wildcard Round
Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30
First Wildcard Match: First ranked Metro team vs Sixth ranked Metro team
Second Wildcard Match: Second ranked Metro team vs Fifth ranked Metro team
Third Wildcard Match: Third ranked Metro team vs Fourth ranked Metro team
Fourth Wildcard Match: Second ranked Country/Tas team vs Seventh ranked Country/Tas team
Fifth Wildcard Match: Third ranked Country/Tas team vs Sixth ranked Country/Tas team
Sixth Wildcard Match: Fourth ranked Country/Tas team vs Fifth ranked Country/Tas team
Bye: First ranked Country/Tas team
Quarter Finals
Saturday, September 5 and/or Sunday, September 6
First Quarter Final: Highest ranked Metro Wildcard winner vs Highest ranked Metro Wildcard loser
Second Quarter Final: Second-highest ranked Metro Wildcard winner vs Third-highest ranked Metro Wildcard winner
Third Quarter Final: First ranked Country/Tas team vs Third-highest ranked Country/Tas Wildcard winner
Fourth Quarter Final: Highest ranked Country/Tas Wildcard winner vs Second-highest ranked Country/Tas Wildcard winner
Preliminary Finals
Saturday, September 12 and/or Sunday, September 13
First Preliminary Final: First Quarter Final winner vs Fourth Quarter Final winner
Second Preliminary Final: Second Quarter Final winner vs Third Quarter Final winner
Grand Final
Saturday, September 19
Grand Final: First Preliminary Final winner vs Second Preliminary Final winner
